Review: Classy Delites Aztec Roasted Corn and Black Bean Salsa and Denzel’s Pineapple Punch Hot Sauce

OK, so it is time for my night time snack (I know it is bad but I don’t mind being known as the round Tamale! There will be just more of me to admire!) I have not been to the supermarket in a very long time and my cupboards are bare! Searching for something other then the dust bunnies and chocolate chip Pop-Tarts in my cabinets I come across some corn chips. Good start. I also notice my jar of salsa to be reviewed. Even better. But I want something more than just chips and salsa. Ah, I have cheddar and jack cheese in the fridge. What else? Leftover strip steak just begging to be used. Do you see where I am going here……….NACHOS! (no Denzel’s yet….that story later)

So I open up the salsa and take a gander at it. Nothing spectacular. Looks a little better then your basic commercial supermarket salsa. You can see the corn and the black beans with onions in between. Aroma wise, basic supermarket salsa. I was disappointed with the taste. It was no better then my local supermarket salsa. No heat either. You know the jalapeno peppers and chili peppers are around but it is more like a friendly wave from them on their way to work. But, I was on a mission and to be fair to the salsa I had to try it on food. Not to be surprised it fizzled out there too. Once on the nachos the flavor just got lost with all the other ingredients of the dish.

OK, so now I am looking at my shelf of sauces that I have to review. Do you get where I am going…..do you? Yup, Denzel’s Pineapple Punch was just sitting there screaming at me for a chance to pep up my nachos. So I listened. I mean that punchy pineapple scares me a little so who was I to say no? Anyway, on first sniff my mouth was watering. I couldn’t wait to try it. The first taste of this sauce is savory with just a hint of sweetness then…….heat….then more heat…….then even more heat…..and then the full flavor of the habanero peppers shine! WOW! What a slow but wonderful burn. Truly great flavor and heat. There is a bitter after taste but as anyone who knows habanero peppers knows that is not uncommon. Perfect for my nachos! I poured 1/3 of the bottle on my nachos and perfection! And that bitterness, completely disappears once added to the dish. I am so glad I listened to that mean looking pineapple (I think I saw him smile as I enjoyed the pain of the burn but it could have been that my helmet was on too tight again).

Up close shot of Denzel’s Pineapple Punch Hot Sauce

I didn’t start off wanting to do two reviews from two completely different companies at the same time. But like many things in life I can’t always see what lies ahead of me. My overall opinion of my finished dish was satisfying. I was disappointed in the flavor of the salsa. It wasn’t the worst I have ever had but it wasn’t the best. The hot sauce really saved the day for me and I am so glad I put it on my nachos.

Classy Delites Aztec Salsa Roasted Corn and Black Beans
Packaging : 6/10 nothing that truly stands out but it doesn’t hurt the eyes
Aroma: 4/10 supermarket salsa
Appearance: 7/10 you can see chunks of corn, black beans, and onions
Taste: 3/10 supermarket salsa
Heat: 1/10 the peppers just call to say hello

Overall: 4/10

Classy Delites, Inc.
P.O. Box 340189
Austin,Texas 78734
1-800-440-2648 (Toll Free)
info@classydelites.com

Denzel’s Pineapple Punch Hot Sauce
Packaging: 9/10 I like the scary little pineapple
Aroma: 10/10 savory, mouth watering
Appearance: smooth orange sauce
Taste: 9/10 savory, sweet, then a slow burn-slight bitterness
Heat: 10/10 the habaneros call and STAY a while

Overall: 9/10

Denzel’s Gourmet Foods Ltd.
Box 398
Enderby, BC
V0E 1V0

Written by Jodie

Nick Lindauer founded Hot Sauce Blog in 2004, making it one of the internet's very first hot sauce review sites. After 20+ years of tasting, reviewing, and attending every major fiery foods event in the country, he's back behind the keyboard covering the hot sauce world he helped build.

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